There is no doubt that Norland is rather different to most other higher education institutions. But the success of Bath’s highly specialised school for nannies could teach the wider sector the value of breaking the mould.
When Times Higher Education visited on the cusp of exam season, students in blue uniform – the iconic beige outfit associated with the Norland nanny (or “Norlander”) is reserved for special occasions – flitted between lessons in neuroscience and cooking and sewing.
A class on baby massage led by an outside expert demonstrated the difference between Indian and Swedish milking techniques. Another looked at the issue of inclusiveness in children’s books and how titles such as My Grandma Has Dementia and What’s in Your Tummy, Mummy? can help negotiate family change. Over lunch, third-year students compared notes on the – utterly exhausting – pleasures of working with triplets.
Founded by Emily Ward in 1892, Norland claims that it was the world’s first educational establishment to offer childcare training. About 100 students a year now come to study for two qualifications in parallel, a BA in early childhood development and care and the professional diploma. The principal, Janet Rose, is well aware that Norland nannies have “a slightly old-fashioned, Mary Poppins-type image” and has set out to change this “to reflect the fact that it’s a highly skilled, complex role. One of the things we like to tell our students is that we are brain architects, not babysitters.”
